Although a parliamentary democracy, Indian politics has increasingly become dynastic, possibly due to the absence of a party organization, independent civil society associations that mobilize support for the party, and centralized financing of elections.[1] Family members have also led the Congress party for most of the period since 1978 when Indira Gandhi floated the then Congress(I) faction of the party.[2] It also is fairly common in many political parties in Maharashtra.[3] The dynastic phenomenon is seen from national level down to district level and even village level.The three-tier structure of Panchayati Raj established in the 1960s also helped to create and consolidate the dynastic phenomenon in rural areas. Apart from government, political families also control cooperative institutions, mainly cooperative sugar factories, district cooperative banks in the state, and since the 1980s private for profit colleges.[4][5] The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also features several senior leaders who are dynasts.[6][7] In Maharashtra, the NCP has particularly high level of dynasticism.[7]
Below is a partial list of the political families of Maharashtra state in India.
The Bhosale Family, Satara
▪ Udayanraje Bhosale, Former Minister of State in Maharashtra Government. BJP Member of Rajya sabha
▪ Shivendrasinghraje Bhosale, Member of Legislative Assembly.
The Bhujbal Family
The Bhumre Family, Paithan
Tha Chavan family ( of Bhausaheb Sonba Anaji Chavan) first SC mayer of Pune Municipal corporation, political party RPI (1971-1972)
The Chavan Family (of Dajisaheb)
- Dajisaheb Chavan (1916 – 1973) - Union Deputy Minister for Defence and Law.
- Premala Chavan (1918 – 2003) - Wife of Dajisaheb Chavan. Member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
The Chavan Family (of Shankarrao)
The Dange Family
The Dandavate Family
The Danve Family
- Raosaheb Danve - Represents Bhartiya Janata Party in 16th Lok Sabha[1] & formerly Maharashtra President of Bhartiya Janata Party.
The Deshmukh Family
- Vilasrao Deshmukh (1945 – August 2012) - MP in the Rajya Sabha, Indian Minister of Science & Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences, former Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, former Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Panchayati Raj, Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra for 2 Terms -
- Diliprao Deshmukh; Younger Brother Of Vilasrao Deshmukh - Former Minister For Sports Maharashtra Government & Guardian Minister For Latur
The Deora Family
- Murli Deora Former Cabinet Minister Central Government
- Milind Deora Former Minister of Central Government, Son of Murli Deora
The Dutt Family
- Sunil Dutt Ex. Member of Parliament Lok Sabha
- Priya Dutt Ex. Member of Parliament, daughter of Sunil Dutt
The Desai Family (of Satara)
The Gadakh Family
The Gaikwad Family
The Gavai Family
- R. S. Gavai - Governor, MP (Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha), MLC
The Gholap Family
- Babanrao Gholap - Cabinet Minister of Social Welfare in Maharashtra Government
- Yogesh Gholap - Son of Babanrao. Member of the 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Deolali Vidhan Sabha constituency as member of Shiv Sena
The Khadse Family, Jalgaon
- Eknath Khadse, Former Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra. Currently in NCP
The Khan Family, Parbhani
The Khatal Patil Family, Sangamner
- B.J.Khatal-Patil, Former Minister of State for Co-operation, Planning etc and Minister of Cabinet for Law & Judiciary, Food & Civil Supplies, Irrigation, PWD, Revenue etc and Congress Member for Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
- Vikramsinh Satish Khatal Patil, grandson of Mr B. J. Khatal-Patil is now socially and politically active from the family.
The Kshirsagar Family, Beed
sandep kshirsagar, grandson of kesharbai kshirsagar, MLA
The Mohite Family, Solapur
The Mahadik Family, Kolhapur
- Amal Mahadik - Son of Appa Mahadik. Former MLA from Kolhapur South (2014 to 2019).
- Dhananjay Mahadik - Nephew of Appa Mahadik - Former Member of Parliament Kolhapur (2014 to 2019), current Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha.
The Mahajan Family
The Munde Family
The Naik Family (of Vasantrao)
- Vasantrao Naik, 4th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Former Member of Parliament. The longest served Chief Minister of State.
- Avinash Naik, son of Vasantrao Naik, Former Minister of state.
- Sudhakarrao Naik, Nephew of Vasantarao Naik, Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Former Member of Parliament. Founder member of Nationalist Congress Party
The Naik Family
- Ganesh Naik, Member of legislative assembly and Ex Minister of State excise and non conventional energy, Maharashtra[8]
- Sanjeev Naik, Ex. Member of Parliament Lok Sabha, Ex.Mayor of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
- Sandeep Naik, Ex.Member of Legislative Assembly
The Pawar Family, Baramati
- Sharad Pawar - Former Agriculture Minister of India, Member Of Parliament Rajya Sabha, awarded Padma Vibhushan
- Supriya Sule - Daughter of Sharad Pawar, Member, Lok Sabha Baramati Constituency
- Ajit Pawar - Nephew of Sharad Pawar; Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State
- Sunetra Pawar[9] - wife of Ajit Pawar, Member of Rajya Sabha
- Parth Pawar - Son of Ajit and Sunetra Pawar, Grandnephew of Sharad Pawar[10]
- Dinkarrao Govindrao Pawar - Sharad Pawar's elder brother - awarded Padma Shri..
- Rajendra Dinkarrao Pawar - son of Dinkarrao, runs the business for the family
- Sunanda Rajendra Pawar - wife of Rajandra Dinkarrao Pawar and social activist
- Pratap Govindrao Pawar - Younger brother of Sharad Pawar, runs Sakal group of newspapers, Awarded Padma Shri.
The Patil family Nilanga
The Vikhe Patil family Nagar
The Patil Family Kolhapur
- D. Y. Patil - Former Governor of Bihar, India
- Satej Patil - MLC, State Minister & Guardian Minister of Kolhapur District, Maharashtra
The Patil Family Tasgaon (Sangli)
- R. R. Patil - Ex.Deputy Chief Minister and Cabinet minister of Maharashtra State
The Patil Family Sangali
- Rajarambapu Patil - Former Member of legislative assembly Maharashtra.In the 1960s and 70s, he was influential in establishing many cooperative instituitions such as a bank and a Sugar factory in sangli district.[11]
- Jayant Patil - Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra State, Son of Rajarambapu Patil
The Purohit Family
- Raj K. Purohit - BJP Chief Whip of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Cabinet Minister)
The Paranjape Family
The Satav Family, Hingoli
The Solanke Family, Beed ** Sundarrao Solanke - Patil, Former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra State (1978-1980), Unopposed MLA in 1972, First President of Beed Zilla Parishad.
The Shinde Family, Solapur
- Sushilkumar Shinde, Former Central Home Minister of India, Former Ministry of Power, Former Governor of AndhraPradesh, Former Chief Minister of Mahrashtra.
- Praniti Shinde, Member of Legislative Assembly from Solapur City Central, Mahrashtra, AICC Media Panelist. Daughter of Sushilkumar
The Shirole (Patil) Family, Pune.
The Shinde family, Thane
The Siddique Family, Mumbai
The Thackeray Family, Mumbai
- Bal Thackeray (also known as Balasaheb) (1926 – 2012) - founder leader and former chairperson of the Shiv Sena
- Uddhav Thackeray, Former Chief Minister Of Maharashtra; leader and chairperson of the Shiv Sena (UBT); son of Balasaheb Thackeray
- Aditya Thackeray, ex Minister (Environment and climate, Tourism, Protocol), Government of Maharashtra; founder and president of Yuva Sena; son of Uddhav Thackeray
- Shrikant Thackeray, younger brother of Bal Thackeray
The Tatkare Family, Roha, Raigad
The Thorat Family, Ahmednagar
- Bhausaheb thorat, Bhausaheb Thorat was a peasant leader and worked as a freedom fighter in the freedom struggle in Maharashtra and a one-time legislator from Sangamner constituency.
The Tambe Family, Ahmednagar
- Dr. Durgatai Tambe, Daughter of Bhausaheb thorat & Sister of Balasaheb Thorat and Mayor of Sangamner Municipal Council.
The Zanak Family
- Subhash Zanak - Son of Ramrao. Former Cabinet Minister For Women and Child Welfare, Ashok Chavan's Ministry. Member of Congress party
- Amit Subhashrao Zanak - Son of Subhash and grandson of Ramrao. Legislator in Maharashtra assembly. Member of Congress party
The Zakaria Family
- Rafiq Zakaria Former Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha & Cabinet Minister in Maharashtra State.
- Salim Zakaria - Former Minister of Education & Aukaf, Government of Maharashtra & Chairman Haj Committee of India.
- Ahmed Zakaria - Younger step-brother of Rafiq Zakaria, two term Legislator in Maharashtra Assembly, Founder Chairman Haj Committee of India.
- Asif Zakaria - Son of Ahmed, Municipal Corporator, Ward No. 101 & Member - Standing Committee, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.
- Al-Naseer Zakaria - Son of Salim Zakaria, Spokesperson of Indian National Congress, Maharashtra State.
- Ruman Zakaria - Relative of Dr. Rafiq Zakaria, Joint Secretary- Indian Youth Congress Bhiwandi.
Palshikar, S., 2004. Issues in an Issue-less Election: Assembly Polls in Maharashtra. Economic and Political weekly, pp.4399-4403.
Mathew, A. PRIVATE ENGAGEMENT IN MAHARASHTRA HIGHER EDUCATION: FROM PHILANTHROPY TO COMMERCIALIZATION AND RESISTING REGULATION.College Post, April-Jun, 2018, 11-18
Ajit, J. P. (2013). Financial Analysis of Rajarambapu Co-Op. Bank Ltd., Peth, Dist. Sangli-A Case Study. Advances In Management, 6(6).